Cord control mechanism for roller shades



Jan. 28, 1969 N. E. LOWE 3,424,224

com) CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ROLLER SHADES Filed Dec. 16, 1966 INVENTOR.woe/14,4 .5 LOWE:

76.10. BY M lium ZTTOE/VE ys.

3,424,224 CORD CONTROL MECHANISM FOR ROLLER SHADES Norman E. Lowe, 937Schuykill Ave., Reading, Pa. 19601 Filed Dec. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 602,400U.S. Cl. 160308 Int. Cl. E06b 9/204, 9/208 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE This invention relates to roller shade-operating de vices,and more particularly to a roller shade-operating mechanism includingmeans for releasably-locking the associated roller shade in an adjustedposition.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedroller-operating mechanism for shades or other similar roller-supportedobjects, the mechanism being simple in construction, being easy toinstall, being easy to operate, and involving a very small number ofparts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved rollershade-operating mechanism which is inexpensive to fabricate, which iscompact in size, which is neat in appearance, and which is durable inconstruction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved rollershade-operating mechanism which is suitable for use with either shaderollers of the spring type, provided with an internal spring which iswound up responsive to rotation of the associated roller, or withrollers of the ordinary non-spring type, the mechanism being adapted foruse with conventional spring roller shades or other types of rollershades without the necessity of making permanent modifications of theparts of such conventional roller shade assemblies, the device, wheninstalled, providing improving control of the roller shade assembly withwhich it is used, and being very reliable in operation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a roller shade assemblyprovided with an improved operating mechanism constructed in accordancewith the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the portion of theroller shade assembly shown in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view taken substantially on the line 33of FIGURE 2.

\FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on theline 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the swingable looking member employedin the roller-operating mechanism of FIGURES 1 to 4.

FIGURE 6 is an end elevational view of a roller shade assembly withoperating means according to the present invention, but employing aflexible cord instead of a chain.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary front elevational view, partly in verticalcross-section, of a shade roller of the spring type employed with animproved operating mech- United States Patent 0 "ice anism according tothe present invention, and employing means to partly immobilize theratchet portion of the roller assembly.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged transverse vertical crosssectional view takensubstantially on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the substantially cylindrical cover orcap employed on the roller shaft in FIGURES 7 and 8.

FIGURE 10' is a reverse perspective view of a protective cap membersimilar to that shown in FIGURE 9.

The present invention consists generally of a roller shade-operatingmechanism of the type employing a chain gearingly-engaged with aserrated pulley and having a friction spring engaging the insidesurfaces of the pulley to frictionally-hold the pulley against rotationunless manually actuated. The mechanism includes a swingable lockingelement on the pulley shaft swingable into locking engagement with thechain to releasably hold the associated shade in a given adjustedposition. The locking element is provided with depending channeled guideportions receiving the front and rear portions of the chcain and may beused to transmit releasing force from the chain to the locking elementwhen either the front or the rear portion of the chain is pulled down-Wardly.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 6, 11generally indicates a windowshade of the type provided with a roller 12,the shade being attached to the roller and being capable of being rolledup thereon, for example, to the position thereof shown in FIGURE 2, orbeing unrolled therefrom to partly or completely cover an associatedwindow 13. The roller 12 is provided with suitable end aperturesreceiving outwardly-projecting end shaft elements which arerotatablyreceived in bracket assemblies secured to the opposite sideportions of the associated window frame adjacent the top cornersthereof, and in accordance 'with the present invention, an operatingassembly, designated generally at 14, is employed at one of the bracketassemblies, for example, at the bracket assembly 15 shown in FIGURE 1.

The bracket 15 comprises a plate-like attaching portion 16 which isfastened to the window frame portion 17 in any suitable manner, forexample, by top and bottom screws 18, 18, as shown. The bracket assembly15 also comprises the forwardly-projecting vertical arm 19 having a slotor aperture 20. Arm 19 is formed inwardly of aperture 20 with arectangular aperture 21 and is further formed at its outer end with arectangular notch 22. The generally U-shaped spring-gripping clip 23 hasa first hooked arm 24 engaged through the aperture 21 and has a secondhooked arm 25 received in the notch 22, the arms 24 and 25 havingrespective resilient inwardlydirected friction bearing portions 26 and27 (see FIG- URE l) engageable with the inside flange of a pulley 28 tourge the pulley against the right-angled inner bend portions 29 of theclip, whereby to frictionally-hold the pulley against rotation relativeto the clip with sufficient force to prevent the pulley from beingrotated unle'ss manually-actuated. The clip 23 and the associatedbracket 15 are conventional, per se, and are similar to correspondingelements shown in US. Patent No. 2,217,- 067 to C. McCauley, issuedOctober 8, 1940.

T he roller 12 has a square central aperture 70 which receives thesquared portion 30 of the shaft of pulley 28, so that the pulley iskeyed to the roller, said shaft being formed with the generallycylindrical outer end portion 31 which is rotatably-re'ceived in thebracket slot 20. The roller 12 and pulley 28 are thus rotatable relativeto the bracket 15, being yield ably held against rotation by theabove-described action of the retarding clip 23.

Pulley 28 is provided with peripheral uniformly-spaced serrations 33,and a chain 34 of the linked-ball type is engaged over the pulley, thechain being endless, and the successive link balls thereof engaging inthe recesses between the serrations 33 in the periphery of pulley 28 sothat the chain is drivingly-engaged with the pulley.

Designated at 35 is a swingable locking member having a plate-like mainbody portion 36 which tapers upwardly in width and is provided with acircular aperture 37 in its top portion. The lower corners of the body36 are formed with inwardly-turned hook elements 38, 38 having beveledtop corners 39, 39, as shown in FIGURE 5, and having generallysemi-cylindrical shapes at their bight portions. The bottom margin ofplate-like body 36 is formed with the horizontal tab 40 which is bent atright angles to the main body portion 36-, as shown in FIGURE 5, andwhich is located substantially in the plane of the top edges of hookelements 38, 38, the end edges of tab 40 being located just above thebevels 39, 39. Said end edges are formed with respective V-shapednotches 41, 41 adapted to lockingly-engage with the link elementsconnecting a pair of adjacent balls of the chain 34 in the mannerillustrated in FIGURE 4, as will be presently described.

The locking member 35 is mounted on the shaft 30 of the pulley betweenthe plane of the friction fingers Q6, 27 and the end of the roller 12,the squared shaft 30 being rotatably-received in the circular aperture37. The body 36 thus depends from the shaft 30 and the front and rearportions of the chain 34 are respectively received in the generallyU-shaped hook-like enclosures defined by the elements 38, 38, the frontand rear portions of said chain 34 extending substantially axiallythrough the semicylindrical bight portions of the elements 38 with themembers 35 in its normal, substantially centered position shown inFIGURES l, 2 and 3. Under these conditions, the front and rear portionsof the chain 34 are free to move vertically relative to the hook-likeenclosures 38, 38.

To adjust the shade 11, the front or rear portion of the chain 34 ismoved downwardly, in accordance with the desired direction ofadjustment. For example, the front portion of chain 34 is pulleddownwardly to raise the shade, and the rear portion of chain 34 ispulled downwardly to lower the shade. To lock the shade in adjustedposition, the front portion thereof is manually-grasped and the rearportion of the chain is pulled outwardly, causing the rear portion ofthe chain to act against the rear notched edge of tab 40, rotating thelocking member 35 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 4, to aposition wherein the opposite notched end of tab 40 engages between apair of adjacent balls of the outer portion of chain 34 and urges sameupwardly toward the lower edge of the outer clip hook element 25. Theweight of the suspended portion of the shade contributes sufiicientclockwise torque on the pulley 28 to maintain tension in the frontportion of chain 34 sufficient to keep said front portionlockingly-engaged with the front notched end of tab 40, whereby totransmit similar clockwise torque to the swingable member 35, and tothereby maintain said swingable member in its locking position shown inFIGURE 4. Thus, with the link between a pair of adjacent balls engagedin the V-shaped notch at the front end of tab 40, the subjacent ballacts against the end of tab 40 from below, under the clockwise torqueprovided by the Weight of the depending portion of shade 11, providingthe necessary clockwise moment on looking member 35 to keep it in itsrotated locked position, shown in FIGURE 4. The locking engagement maybe released by pulling downwardly on the rear portion of chain 34 whilesaid rear portion is engaged with the rear hook member 38, which thusrotates member 35 counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG- URE 4, and whichthus disengages the front notch 41 from the front of chain 34.

FIGURE 4 shows the parts in locked position. To release the shade forfurther adjustment, either upwardly or downwardly, either the front orthe rear portion of chain 34 is pulled downwardly, thereby allowingmembers 35 to rotate counterclockwise, as viewed in FIGURE 4, sufli'ciently to disengage the previously locked portion of chain 34 from thenotched end of tap 40, allowing free adjustment of shade 11 to itsdesired new position, after which the shade may be locked in saiddesired new position in the manner above-described.

The locking device 14 may be employed using an endless cord or belt 34'instead of a chain 34, provided that the endless cord or belt 34' is ofrelatively yieldable and deformable material sufficiently yieldable sothat it will wedge in a notch 41 of the member 35 when the member isrotated, in the manner above-described, to a locked positioncorresponding to that shown in FIGURE 4. Thus, FIGURE 6 illustrates anarrangement which employs such an endless cord or belt 34' of relativelydeformable yieldable material which is soft enough to wedgingly-lock inthe notch 41 when the member 35 is rotated responsive to a pull on theinward portion of the belt or cord 34 after the associated shade 11 hasbeen adjusted to a desired position. As in the case of the embodiment ofthe invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 5, the weight of the dependingportion of the shade 11 will act, in conjunction with the grippingeffect of the engaged notch 41, to maintain the member 35 in a rotatedlocked position. The member 35 may be swung to its normal position inthe same manner as previously-described in connection with FIG- URE 4,namely, by pulling downwardly on either the front or the rear portion ofthe endless cord 34'.

FIGURES 7 to 10 illustrate the manner in which a locking device 35 maybe employed with a shade roller of the spring type. Thus, the shaderoller, shown at 12', is of conventional construction and contains thecoiled spring 50 which has one end 51 anchored in the roller, and theother end 52 engaged in the notched inner end of a shaft rod 53 which isrotatable in a central aperture provided in the end cap 54 of theroller. A pair of pivoted dogs 55, 55 are provided on the end cap whichare lockinglyengageable in diametrically-opposed notches provided in theexternal portion of the rod 53. The dogs 55, 55 cooperate with theexposed portion of rod 53 in ratchet fashion, to allow the roller to berotated to unwind a shade therefrom, causing the spring 50 to betightened as the shade is unwound, the roller being latched by theaction of the dogs 55, 55. The dogs may be released by exerting a pullon the shade, after which the rapid rotation of roller 12, driven byspring 50, allows the roller to wind the shade up thereon. In thearrangement shown in FIG- URES 7 and 8, the locking assembly 35 iemployed in conjunction with the pintle end of the shade roller 12'opposite that associated with the tensioning spring 50. Thus, thelocking assembly 35 is employed in association with the left shaft endportion 56 of the roller assembly 12' of FIGURE 7. To prevent theratchet mechanism at the right end of the roller assembly frominterfering with the operation of the new locking assembly 35, a capmember 57 is engaged over the exposed end of shaft 53, the cap memberhaving a rectangular slot 58 in its end wall to receive thecorrespondingly-shaped outer end of rod 53. The wall of the cap member57 is provided with a notch 59 of suflicient size to allow only one ofthe dogs 55 to engage therethrough, the other dog being kept away fromthe exposed end of rod 53. Thus, with the cap member 57 in place theupper pawl 55 is de-activated, permitting only one of the notches in theexposed end portion of rod 53 to be effective. The rod 53 is heldstationary because of its engagement in the vertical slot of the bosselement 60 associated with the bracket 14, whereas the pawl members 55,55 rotate with the roller 12'. With this arrangement, and with the capmember 57 in place, as above-described, the user may tighten the spring50 to any desired tension and place the bottom pawl 55 in lockingengagement with the lower notch of the exposed rod 53 through the notch59 in the cap member 57, the spring 50 being held under tension by thesaid one pawl 55 with the cap member 57 engaged on the shaft rod 53,

in which condition the end of the shaft rod may then be placed in thereceiving slot 62 of the supporting bracket 14. Once the pawl 55 isreleased from the rod 53, the roller and shade will, thereafter, beunder constant tension. It will thus be seen that the purpose of thecupshaped cap member 57 is to eliminate the ratchet-like action of thepawl members 55, 55 in favor of the locking action provided by theimproved assembly 35, while permitting the spring 50 to be placed underdesired tension when the roller is installed in its supporting brackets.

As will be readily apparent, the cap member 57 is held stationary, alongwith the shaft 53, whereas the roller 12 is rotatable relative thereto,but the cap member 57 prevents the upper pawl 55 from latching with therod 53, the lower pawl 55 being ineffective because it is biaseddownwardly by gravity. The spring 50 is thus effective to counterbalancea substantial portion of the Weight of the shade, leaving enough toproduce the cooperation of chain 34 with the notched end of tab 40,above-described, to produce the desired locking action.

What is claimed is:

1. In a window-shade supporting and adjusting device, a shade rollerjournaled between brackets to have a shade wound upon and unwoundtherefrom, a pulley secured axially to said roller and interposedbetween one end thereof and one of said brackets, an endless dependingflexible belt drivingly-engaged on the pulley and having front and reardepending portions, a retarding member mounted on said one of thebrackets and having a friction arm engaging said pulley, a plate-likelocking member pivoted axially to said roller between the pulley andsaid one end of the roller, a locking tab on said locking memberextending su-bjacent said pulley between said depending portions withits end edges engageable by said depending portions, the front dependingportion of said flexible belt extending between the bottom edge of saidfriction arm and one end edge of said locking tab, the rear dependingportion of the endless belt extending adjacent the other end edge ofsaid locking tab and being engageable therewith when said rear dependingportion is pulled outwardly to swing the locking member outwardly so asto cause said front depending flexible belt portion to be locked betweensaid bottom edge of the friction arm and said one end edge of thelocking tab, and respectively inwardly-facing hook-shaped channel guideson the locking member located outwardly-adjacent and depending belowopposite ends of the locking tab and having bight portions receiving therespective front and rear depending portions on the endless belt, one ofsaid channeled guides being at times engageable by an adjacent portionof the belt to rotate the locking member to an unlocking positionresponsive to downward pull on said adjacent belt portion.

2. The window shade-supporting and adjusting device of claim 1, andwherein both end endges of the locking tab are provided with V-shapednotches.

3. The window shade-supporting and adjusting device of claim 2, andwherein said locking tab extend substantially perpendicular to the planeof said platelike locking member.

4. The window shade-supporting and adjusting device of claim 3, andwherein said locking tab is located substantially in the plane of thetop edges of said hookshaped guides.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 32,062 4/1861 Gatty 160-308 X2,401,770 6/1946 Nardulli l-l70 2,562,259 7/ 1951 Burns -l70 2,894,5787/1959 Caesar et a1. 160-308 PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner.

